Playing Games to Test Software: How One Company Conquered Metroid and Mario
A company used playing Nintendo games, specifically Metroid and Super Mario Bros., to test its software platform, Antithesis. Initially, their AI testing system got stuck on a red door in Metroid because it prioritized eliminating enemies, depleting its missiles. This led them to develop a new 'swarm testing' technique that optimizes objectives while exploring the state space, such as prioritizing having more missiles. This not only solved the red door problem but enabled Antithesis to explore the game world more efficiently, uncover bugs, and even exploit game mechanics for speedruns. This technique isn't limited to game testing; it's applicable to various software testing scenarios, such as finding memory leaks or performance anomalies.
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